1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer electronic part, a method of producing the multilayer electronic part, and more particularly, to a multilayer electronic part (and a method of producing same) in which a plurality of outer electrodes are disposed on only the main surfaces of a multilayer body, and an end face of the multilayer body serves as a mounting surface for mounting the part on a mounting substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multilayer electronic parts which utilize chip capacitors and chip inductors are essential in obtaining miniaturization and higher performance of electronic devices. There is a demand for increased density and performance of such devices and, in response to this demand, a chip capacitor has been proposed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-56217.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of such a chip capacitor 50. Chip capacitor 50 comprises a multilayer body 52 composed of a plurality of stacked sheet layers 51 made of ceramics; inner electrodes 53 made of copper or the like inside the multilayer body 52; and outer electrodes 54 disposed on an end face of the multilayer body 52. In this case, the inner electrodes 53 are connected to the outer electrodes 54 by lead electrodes 55 formed at the ends of the inner electrodes 53. Although not shown, the end face of the multilayer body 52 where the outer electrodes 54 are disposed serves as a mounting surface of the chip capacitor 50, and the chip capacitor 50 is mounted on a printed board by connecting the outer electrodes 54 to a pad on the printed board using solder or the like.
In multilayer electronic parts employing the above-described conventional chip capacitor, however, since the outer electrodes are formed on the end face of the multilayer body, it is necessary, in producing the chip capacitor, to cut a mother multilayer body into individual multilayer bodies and to subsequently form outer electrodes on an end face, which is the cutting face, of the individual multilayer bodies.
As a result, the following problems arise:
1) The production process is complicated and, therefore, the production cost is high. PA1 2) The cutting surface is not sufficiently flat, and it is difficult as a result to provide a space between the outer electrodes. PA1 3) It is also difficult to measure the characteristics of individual multilayer electronic parts in the assembled state.